Left vs Right Curves

[rx35285]

Is it normal to have more trouble with left curves than with right? I think my problem is that I'm concerned about going off the right shoulder when I'm applying what I've learned about cornering. I try to tell myself this is silly because I hardly ever touch the yellow line on right handers. (It happened just once during a recent trip that included the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, and Arkansas). I end up taking some left handers such that my helmet is above the yellow line and I know that's not right.

 

Is it just a phobia and any advice on how to conquer it? Other advice?

 

I spent several hours researching this topic on this site and didn't find a discussion. Did find plenty of other useful reminders, though. Thanks! Dave

[Woodie]

I don't think it's unusual. Many people are better going one way than the other. I feel more comfortable on lefts than rights. IDK why. So I try and practice rights more.

 

[T__]

rx35285, it seems most have more problems with Right handers..

 

What seems to be your problem with the L/H curves?

 

If you are going across the yellow line on a L/H curve it sounds like you are turning in way early or not setting up for the curve properly..

 

Also keep in mind you must look WAY through the curve towards the exit (head UP!).. If you look AT the yellow line you will most likely ride the bike to where you are looking..

 

One thing to do is to have an experienced rider follow you through a few curves.. Sometimes it is easier to see what is happening by following a rider for a while..

 

 

Twisty

 

[Polo]

I experience exactly the same phobia or discomfort.

 

To my knowledge we've never discussed this subject as such; it has been mentioned during front tire left wear. I mentioned then that my throttle use is diferent on left turns than on right turns.

 

I am more confident/aggressive on right turns, delaying the apaex and accelerating more, thus keeping the rear suspension under greater pressure than the front.

 

I mentally divide the lane into three sub-lanes per se; when turning right, I start from the left-most sub-lane and dive all the way to the right-most one, thus I have two sub-lanes to be wide on. When turning left I start from the right-most sub-lane but dive only to the limit of the middle sub-lane so my helmet is still inside the lane and not hanging over the yellow line nor past. And I have only one sub-lane to go wide on. I'm a lot less aggressive on the throttle, which was my explanation about more wear on the left side of my front tire.

 

You are not alone, I am very concerned of going wide on a left turn.

 

I sure would like to hear some pointers from the many good riders here.

[Eric S]

From my bicycle racing days I remember that the wisdom was that typically right handers turn left better, and left handers turn right better. This is because your strong or dominant hand is in the "power" position.

[Polo]

From my bicycle racing days I remember that the wisdom was that typically right handers turn left better, and left handers turn right better. This is because your strong or dominant hand is in the "power" position.

 

I'm right handed. I don't think this applies.

[Nice n Easy Rider]

From my bicycle racing days I remember that the wisdom was that typically right handers turn left better, and left handers turn right better. This is because your strong or dominant hand is in the "power" position.

 

I'm right handed. I don't think this applies.

Many of us have a dominant eye as well. I wonder if that factors into the equation.

[Lawman]

You are not alone..I'm much better on right handers..It takes me nearly twice as much room to turn around counterclockwise as it does clockwise..

BTW...I can only play one side of the board when playing chess..

[T__]

rx35285, fill out your profile on this site..

 

Where are you located? Maybe someone from this site can take a ride with you & help you find the problem..

 

Twisty

 

[Eric S]

I'm not saying it's a hard and fast rule, but amongst the cyclists I knew it skewed that way. My 13 yr old is a lefty for writing but says he's more comfortable turning left. Then again he's all screwed up and does various things left or right handed. I guess the nuns don't smack his knuckles hard enough.

[Nice n Easy Rider]

I guess the nuns don't smack his knuckles hard enough.

Boy, that brings back old (and painful) memories.

[rx35285]

Wow - thanks for the help! When looking ahead in left hand curves it seemed to help if I divided the road into thirds and consciously looked toward the outside 2 thirds, ie, at the inside of the cage's right tire track.

 

The result is exactly what Polo describes on both right and left. I don't mind my helmet hanging over the shoulder on the righties.

 

I am left handed, so maybe it's a combo of that and fear of dropping a tire off the shoulder.

 

Guess I just gotta keep practicing until I trust myself. I've gotten serious about this in just the past 4-5 years as I've had better handling bikes. The previous 30 years were more touring than sport.

 

Looking forward to more thoughts and advice.

Dave

[tobyzusa]

I don't think it has anything to do with right or left handedness.

 

Righties are easier for most people because the subconscious mind says, "There is a 50% margin over there if you screw-up and if there is not a car occupying the lane at the exact moment you need the space, and there usually is not a car over there at the exact moment you need the space, so let 'er rip". Now to be clear, I don't cross the yellow, and don't adhere to that faulty logic, but nevertheless, that's what my subconscious is telling me.

 

Similarly, on a lefty, the mind says. "Don't screw the pooch on this one. There's little or no shoulder over there. An error will be catastrophic. Reel it back in a tad and give yourself extra margin, before committing to the turn." Now in this case, unlike the previous example, the logic is not faulty.

 

So there you go. Now you all know what those little voices in my head are saying as I enter an aggressive turn.

 

 

 

[Lawman]

So there you go. Now you all know what those little voices in my head are saying as I enter an aggressive turn.

 

 

 

Brad,

What else do these little voices tell you?

[Matts_12GS]

I think that eye dominance has something to do with it, as does technique and a little fear.

 

I used to have a horrible fear of left turns because I was always sure I would wind up off the road (which I did once due to target fixation).

 

Whip and David B. both helped me immeasurably by offering me the same suggestion to build my confidence in left turns. They suggested doing Inside/Outside drills while riding to help me get used to seeing the edge of the road while riding calmly and that has tremendously reduced the left turn anxiety.

 

Additionally, attending Ride Smart taught by Lone_RT_Rider, Foot and Huzband helped me focus on techniques to get my turn in position well tuned so that I could more readily look through a turn.

[ShovelStrokeEd]

If you are having problems with fear of going wide on a left turn just make a later apex. Hold your turn angle a little longer and follow through on the corner to the extent you carry your turn around more. You should straighten the bike up later, in other words, so that you wind up parallel with the center line and fairly close (head position permitting) to it.

 

If you are riding at a sensible pace, chances are you don't really have to get your head any wider than your bars anyway.

 

I practice this technique (follow through) on just about every turn. It's not as fast as the classic racing line but completely eliminates worries about going wide.

[motoguy128]

I think it's very common. In part, because of that right shoulder looming as you mentioned. For me, it's because all of the racetracks I did trackdays on when I had a sportbike and learned most of my cornering skills, were clockwise. So inherently, there were more right hand turns, and most of the really tight turns were right handers and the faster turns were left handers. I became pretty comfortable pushing the bike hard, dragging and knee and sliding a little on right handers, but not so much of left handers.

 

I'd tend to say that because of this, I'm more comfortable on left hand sweepers but right hand hairpins.

 

[Quinn]

Delayed apex on a left hander is harder because--My God!--you're heading off the edge of the road! Especially if you don't have a guarenteed, for sure feel of how fast the bike will turn. The end result is that you turn in too soon and almost nip the centerline. Especially scarey when an approaching car suddenly comes into your cornering plan. I still tend to do a little wiggle and ease off the throttle when that car appears around the curve; now I've got to figure out if he's in his lane and is going to stay there or I need to take evasive action. Best piece of advise is to quit looking at the fog line on the outer edge of the lane and use the center line as your reference for the curve.

 

The only thing I've done to help me with left handers is to wait until I get behind a really slow vehicle that I'm not going to be able to pass. I fall back and use the time to practice. Try staying in the outer most third of your lane throughout the curve; no pressure while you're going that slow. Then I practice my delayed apexing at slow speed to get the feel of how quickly the bike will turn in. Lastly, I fall back further from the slowpoke and then take the curve at a decent clip. Just remember that he may be slow because he's looking at mailbox numbers and is going to turn in with no warning.

 

Hope this helps. If not, just remember that on American roads, for the same curve, the left handers are a wider radius than the rights, so they should be easier.

 

---

[Albert]

This thread is coming dangerously close to violating the no politics rule here with "left this", and "right that". OK I appologize for that.

[Fubar]

My 13 yr old is a lefty for writing but says he's more comfortable turning left. Then again he's all screwed up and does various things left or right handed. I guess the nuns don't smack his knuckles hard enough.

 

I'm also left-handed for writing. Though to show how messed up I am (check the name) I bat right (mostly), golf (putt-putt only) both, throw/catch left, shoot pool, throw darts and drink beer left-handed. No nun-instigated beatings in my past.

Having said all that, I'm somewhat more comfortable on left handers. I think it's because I can see farther that way looking across the oncoming lane(s).

[alimar]

Late apex either left or right is what I "try" to manage to, but alas my mind wanders and I begin thinking that when one flushes in the northern hemisphere things flow easiest to the right, and in the southern hemisphere things flow easiest to the left. That said, here in the northern hemisphere, turning right just seems to offer a sense of well being whereas turning left seems to be a bit choppy, like I'm fighting the current whilst also trying to dodge a log or two...

 

Reality sets in and I'll say that I feel best running left. No idea why. I'm a righty so perhaps it’s all about the strong arm. No clue, but I love lefts. Perhaps it has something to do with my innate nature to go against the grain?

 

 

[rx35285]

rx35285, fill out your profile on this site..

Where are you located? Maybe someone from this site can take a ride with you & help you find the problem..

 

Twisty

Great idea, Twisty. Done.

Dave in Cedar Falls, IA

[vizhip]

In class I had tons of trouble in the box turning right, but none turning left...

 

With the R1100RT, I have only missed on left turns... 1 wide and 1 short... both at slow speeds... 1 in practice in the neighborhood (I just didn't turn my head) and 1 on my first extended ride... was worried about the sharp turn and cut it TOO quick...

 

After that... both are about the same... but I still need TONS of practice...

 

Regards -

-Bob

[tobyzusa]

So there you go. Now you all know what those little voices in my head are saying as I enter an aggressive turn.

 

 

 

Brad,

What else do these little voices tell you?

 

Which one of us are you talking to?????

[upflying]

I turn left easier than I turn right. My guess is it has something to do with your inner ear and your sense of balance. Fortunately for me, motor officers turn left more often than turning right.

[rx35285]

In class I had tons of trouble in the box turning right, but none turning left...

 

Since taking the Experienced Rider Course (Harley sponsored) both left & right slow speed turns are OK, but I need practice. It's those left curves on 2 lane road with no shoulder that get me.

[Polo]

... but alas my mind wanders and I begin thinking that when one flushes in the northern hemisphere things flow easiest to the right, and in the southern hemisphere things flow easiest to the left. ...

 

 

Now, if one is to think about things like that while taking a curve, no wonder you may experience some difficulties, can you say over-compliacate?

 

[Linz]

I'm completely ambidextrous and I have issues with left handers (equal to the US rights) because if I overshoot slightly, I could run into the oncoming traffic so, I ride left handers differently.

 

On the track it never has and never will make any difference.

 

Linz

[Selden]

From my bicycle racing days I remember that the wisdom was that typically right handers turn left better, and left handers turn right better. This is because your strong or dominant hand is in the "power" position.

I'm left-handed, and this fits me. Right turns feel natural; sometimes I have to think my way through left-handers.

[markgoodrich]

I think that eye dominance has something to do with it, as does technique and a little fear.

 

I used to have a horrible fear of left turns because I was always sure I would wind up off the road (which I did once due to target fixation).

 

Whip and David B. both helped me immeasurably by offering me the same suggestion to build my confidence in left turns. They suggested doing Inside/Outside drills while riding to help me get used to seeing the edge of the road while riding calmly and that has tremendously reduced the left turn anxiety.

 

Additionally, attending Ride Smart taught by Lone_RT_Rider, Foot and Huzband helped me focus on techniques to get my turn in position well tuned so that I could more readily look through a turn.

 

I'm unfamiliar with the inside/outside drill...can you elaborate?

 

And yes, I have Left Turn Terror. I often make several corrections in left corners, due to turning in too soon, backing out, turning in too soon again, repeat. The verge is full of monsters. Rights, I can choose and hit the apex (early, late, whatever) without thinking about it. This was true on the track, too, to a lesser extent.

 

I don't agree with the eye dominance/left-handedness ideas. I'm left handed, but wait, I throw with my right, kick with my left foot, right arm/leg are stronger, left eye dominant, etc.

 

So, back to my original question: what's the inside/outside drill consist of?

[T__]

 

Mark, that is outside/inside/outside.. Basically you are just setting up to make the turn/curve as straight as possible so the least amount of lean is needed..

 

If you are having problems holding a correct line in a L/H curve you are probably turning in WAY too early,, not far enough right,, & not looking through the curve to the turn exit..

 

If you look at the R/H shoulder you will ride right over to it as you exit the turn (DON’T LOOK THERE).. Look ALL the way through the turn (as far as you can anyways) & keep your eyes UP & looking at the turn EXIT..

 

Personally on the road (especially on roads I’m not real familiar with) I late apex slightly as that allows a little longer straight up braking & also allows me to see around the curve farther as I lean the bike over.. Basically I trade off a little entry speed for a little more up & out exit speed.. That also puts you past most cars coming the other way that tend to run wide & drift over the center line..

 

If you watch most car drivers they usually turn in way too early so make several line corrections while in a curve..

 

 

 

 

 

Twisty

[Whip]

T....1

 

Your pic is an example of how not to turn it ...right!!!????

 

I think looking too far through the corner or across the on coming lane will cause you to turn in too quickly cause that is where your line of sight is. I like to concentrate at the right wheel track for the first half of the corner, using my peripheral vision to find the apex, and then focus on the left wheel track as soon as the double yellow starts to become less relevant. This brings me back to the inside in a perfect late apex. Not recommended for track days

 

The other things you gotta do is fight the visual insecurity of approaching an off camber turn. Almost all left hand turns on two lane roads are off camber. It just feels better to stay to the inside and use the right side of the left wheel rut to add some camber. I've done it when I feel like I may need the extra grip. I know it's all in my head. This has caused to me to duck a few trailer mirrors when my head ends up on the wrong side of the double yellow at the wrong time.

 

 

 

 

 

[ShovelStrokeEd]

That outside-inside-outside is a classic racing line and does provide the fastest way through a corner. It is not, however, the best or safest line to take on the street. Extend the entry to later, move the apex up a bit further and hold the lean past the apex will keep you well away from the fog line at the exit.

 

You'll need a little more lean angle or a little less speed to do this but, so long as you are at a comfortable lean at the apex, there is no reason not to hold it a bit longer and stay away from the edge of the road. I call it follow through.

[markgoodrich]

Yes to Twisty, Whip, SS: I know my problem is that I turn in way, no, WAY too early, despite all my knowledge and conscious intent to late apex...I know WHAT to do, but the Verge Monsters overcome my intentions most of the time. It's a mental thing, at least with me; and as I said, it's left turns only that are the problem.

 

Out at Torrey I followed Whip (for a minute or two, before he vanished) and noted approvingly his late apexes. And then of course I immediately followed the approximate path of Twisty's drawing.

 

By the way, it's not the only mental problem I have....

[Polo]

One day we were coming back from Boerne, I was following you and noticed that; it was even more pronounced at the last set of turns before the little stretch before 473.

 

These turns are specially demanding because the pavement is so rought there and the curves are definitely not gradual, and as Whip says the right wheel rut has negative camber. They must be late apex approach, and you need to emphasize standing on the pegs to overcome the roughness of the pavement.

 

Maybe we should make a special trip out there to paractice on these curves.

 

Riding with Bob, I noticed that he does a very good job on left turns, I guess all those years on the beat realy gave him a chance to practice.

[russell_bynum]

Yes to Twisty, Whip, SS: I know my problem is that I turn in way, no, WAY too early, despite all my knowledge and conscious intent to late apex...I know WHAT to do, but the Verge Monsters overcome my intentions most of the time. It's a mental thing, at least with me; and as I said, it's left turns only that are the problem.

 

Out at Torrey I followed Whip (for a minute or two, before he vanished) and noted approvingly his late apexes. And then of course I immediately followed the approximate path of Twisty's drawing.

 

By the way, it's not the only mental problem I have....

 

Usually an early turn-in is caused by going too fast. Your brain says "OH GOD, I'M GOING TO RUN WIDE" so you turn in...early.

 

Slow down until you get to a pace where you can take the lines you want to take.

 

I like to stay wide and follow the curve of the road until I can see my exit point. At that point (under neutral throttle), I flick the bike in, apply enough throttle to maintain appropriate weight distribution, and accelerate hard as soon as I start standing the bike back up.

 

My pace into the corner is whatever it needs to be to allow me to stay out wide and not have to fight the survival reaction screaming at me to turn early. Generally that means it's pretty slow.

[dsl]

Very nteresting to read all the different responses.  I know I much prefer left handers for very specific reasons, and perhaps partially as a result of having always ridden in the heavily forested twisties of the Northeast.

 

Most importantly, and by definition, you *always* have a better line of sight through left handers (ie, RH side drive countries) due to the spacing created by the opposing lane. Second, also by definition, left handers are wider radius and easier/safer to negotiate than the sharper right hander coming the other way.  Third, cages purposely cross the double yellow on our right handers out of sheer laziness - whereas they only cross the DY on our left handers due to driver error (ie, much less frequently).  Fourth, sand and gravel is much more common in right handers due to a) cages running their wheels off the edge of the road (plowing debris onto the road), and b) road camber combined with road curvature creates a "bowl" to hold rain water run off and particularly the debris it carries.

 

But as mentioned elsewhere in the thread, lefthanders do have the disadvantages of being off camber and having no run-off room. But to the latter point, even if the odds are in technically in our favor that there will be no opposing car when we need to use that space, the consequences are so astronomically high, that I personally consider it worse than having no run-off room. 

[basilr]

I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

[Miriam]

Can't think where now, but remember reading that left hand driving countries have the same issues with left/right curves as we right hand drive countries do. Also left or right handedness and dominant eye have nothing to do with it I dare state! It’s all about our survival reactions as defined into seven by Keith Code:

 

1- Roll-off the gas.

2-Tighten on bars.

3-Narrowed frantically hunting field of view.

4-Fixes attention (on something).

5-Steering in the direction of the fixes attention.

6-No steering (frozen) of ineffective (not quick enough) steering.

7-Braking errors (both over- and under-braking.

 

According to Keith they can be defeated.. Not an easy process, I’ve been at it for a while now, but it does pay off. It’s a weird thought that our survival reactions have been honed to fine perfection over the millenia and seem only to work against us when riding a motorcycle. Then again, maybe that’s why it’s so much fun?

 

[Jake]

Most importantly, and by definition, you *always* have a better line of sight through left handers (ie, RH side drive countries) due to the spacing created by the opposing lane.

 

I feel this is the knuckle ball thrown at those having some difficulty with left handers. One's entire field of view opens up earlier on LHT, which may be triggering the turn-in reaction a bit early. Come to grips that LHT vs. RHT present differently from a visual and timing standpoint, and you will begin to smooth things out.

[rx35285]

Come to grips that LHT vs. RHT present differently from a visual and timing standpoint, and you will begin to smooth things out.

 

Great summary of the many exellent explanations above. Whip and dsl, in particular, make super points.

[basilr]

So let's just say you do everything right and your rear tire does breaks loose and starts to skid. As I understand it (rightly or wrongly), don't power on because if you do, the rear wheel will gain traction and highside you.

 

So that leaves either braking or rolling off the throttle. If you choose braking, you have a choice of either front, rear or both. If your rear wheel is already frictionless, applying rear brake may not help much. If you apply the front brake, are you creating another problem?

 

Will ABS help you?

 

If you roll off the throttle, will the rear wheel then grip and highside you anyway, or will you just lay down the bike on a lowslide and minimize your losses?

 

I guess what I am asking is, what is the most prudent thing to do once things start to happen?

 

 

[Jake]

So let's just say you do everything right and your rear tire does breaks loose and starts to skid.

 

If you've done everything right, you wouldn't be in this situation.

 

It depends on what caused the rear to break loose. If it was due to overacceleration, you should bravely hold or slightly increase your throttle and work your way through it, but don't chop the throttle, and DON'T hit the brakes. If it was due to overcooking the rear brake, well, you are on your own on that one, and I hope you enjoy the view before the sudden stop at the end! I'd choose to keep the skid going - using those Schwinn Banana bike skills from our childhood.

 

Stay with the devil that got you there (brakes/brakes - throttle/throttle), and keep steering through the turn.

[basilr]

Thanks Jake,

 

I was thinking more along the line of slipping on some road sand/gravel that wasn't expected. Your are right though, if you do everything right, you shouldn't have a problem, but nobody is perfect.

[Mister Tee]

e

So let's just say you do everything right and your rear tire does breaks loose and starts to skid. As I understand it (rightly or wrongly), don't power on because if you do, the rear wheel will gain traction and highside you.

 

So that leaves either braking or rolling off the throttle. If you choose braking, you have a choice of either front, rear or both. If your rear wheel is already frictionless, applying rear brake may not help much. If you apply the front brake, are you creating another problem?

 

Will ABS help you?

 

If you roll off the throttle, will the rear wheel then grip and highside you anyway, or will you just lay down the bike on a lowslide and minimize your losses?

 

I guess what I am asking is, what is the most prudent thing to do once things start to happen?

 

 

Ideally, you want to keep a neutral throttle - don't chop it, and don't full throttle it. But if you have to err, it's usually better to give it more power than less.

 

Actually, you have it in reverse. If you happen to lose traction in your rear wheel, and you chop the throttle, you will have the classic high side once you regain traction. If you put on too much throttle, you risk low siding but then again, you didn't have traction to start with so it's not quite as critical. You are just going to slide more.

 

What you want to do, is make your power changes gradual. You lose grip in your rear wheel. Slowly roll off the thottle. As the tire gains grip, be prepared to have the bike start righting itself. It will, just lean more to counteract it, and as long as your power changes aren't abrupt, it's actually not that difficult to deal with.

[Miriam]

. . what is the most prudent thing to do once things start to happen?

 

Just think what it would mean traction wise for either tire when there is a big weight shift to the back (off-throttle) or the front (on-throttle) of the bike.

 

ABS preserves traction under braking when going straight. ASC, or any type of traction control could theoretically help to prevent a situation like that.

 

If you get a heart flutter form a back end slide, you will have a survival reaction (brake or cut throttle). No matter how much sense the responses given here might make to you.

 

The smart thing to do is to desensitize yourself against such a thing by putting in some off-road riding. Also purposely riding through a patch of gravel on a lonely road and giving yourself a tiny adrenalin shot will minimize the effect the next time.

 

[markgoodrich]

. . what is the most prudent thing to do once things start to happen?

 

Just think what it would mean traction wise for either tire when there is a big weight shift to the back (off-throttle) or the front (on-throttle) of the bike.

 

ABS preserves traction under braking when going straight. ASC, or any type of traction control could theoretically help to prevent a situation like that.

 

If you get a heart flutter form a back end slide, you will have a survival reaction (brake or cut throttle). No matter how much sense the responses given here might make to you.

 

The smart thing to do is to desensitize yourself against such a thing by putting in some off-road riding. Also purposely riding through a patch of gravel on a lonely road and giving yourself a tiny adrenalin shot will minimize the effect the next time.

 

Excellent point, Miriam. Freddie Spencer's school (now folded, but replaced by Nick Ienatsch's at Miller...Nick was Freddie's lead instructor) had an afternoon session on little 125cc dirt bikes in a muddy pit, for exactly the reason you mentioned.

 

 

[Polo]

. . what is the most prudent thing to do once things start to happen?

 

Just think what it would mean traction wise for either tire when there is a big weight shift to the back (off-throttle) or the front (on-throttle) of the bike.

 

ABS preserves traction under braking when going straight. ASC, or any type of traction control could theoretically help to prevent a situation like that.

 

If you get a heart flutter form a back end slide, you will have a survival reaction (brake or cut throttle). No matter how much sense the responses given here might make to you.

 

The smart thing to do is to desensitize yourself against such a thing by putting in some off-road riding. Also purposely riding through a patch of gravel on a lonely road and giving yourself a tiny adrenalin shot will minimize the effect the next time.

 

I agree, keep a steady throttle, off the brakes, and let the bike do its thing. Be prepared to ease of fthe throttle if you ffel it high siding

 

However, it's usually not my heart that flutters...

[markgoodrich]

Yes to Twisty, Whip, SS: I know my problem is that I turn in way, no, WAY too early, despite all my knowledge and conscious intent to late apex...I know WHAT to do, but the Verge Monsters overcome my intentions most of the time. It's a mental thing, at least with me; and as I said, it's left turns only that are the problem.

 

Out at Torrey I followed Whip (for a minute or two, before he vanished) and noted approvingly his late apexes. And then of course I immediately followed the approximate path of Twisty's drawing.

 

By the way, it's not the only mental problem I have....

 

This thread is yet more proof that the information available on this board is perhaps the best source of motorcycle information on the Intertube.

 

I frankly think learning I was not the only Bozo with Left Turn Terror may have been the single biggest factor in what I perceive as a major improvement in my handling of lefts. I just returned from a weekend in Cloudcroft, NM, with several of our fellow board members, including Whip. The place is absolutely eat up with left turns. I found, immediately, that I was much more comfortable entering lefts, not so Terrified of the monsters hiding in the weeds off to the right...in other words, I began to naturally, normally enter the turns later, hitting later apexes. I had the good fortune to follow Whip for miles, and noted with great satisfaction that I was (generally) following a similar line entering and leaving the lefts, albeit at a slower pace. So thanks to all who spoke up with comments on this thread.

[mistercindy]

Interesting thread. I think this came up here a number of years ago. Maybe it was in ADVrider. Either way, lots of people experience this. I know I do.

 

 

 

 

From my bicycle racing days I remember that the wisdom was that typically right handers turn left better, and left handers turn right better. This is because your strong or dominant hand is in the "power" position.

True with me. On high speed left turns I feel like a natural. I feel like I'm bumbling turning to the right.